Abstract
The Influence of oxygen and storage temperature on ascorbic acid content, browning index (O.D. 430nm), Hunter colorimetric value, dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and sensory acceptance of aseptic packaged satuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) juice were investigated during storage for 3 months at 20°C and 37°C. The single-strength juice (13° Brix) concentrated by the reverse osmosis membrane method was aseptically packaged into a can (3 L volume) and bag-in-box type flexible pouch (3 L vol.) consisting of ethylene vinylacetate copolymer/viniridene oriented nylon / polyethylene (oxygen permeability ; 0.2ml /container·day). The hot-packed canned juice was used as the control. Storage temperature and oxygen, including dissolved oxygen in the juice and permeable oxygen, had profound effects on the juice quality. The ascorbic acid content, Hunter L* value and sensory acceptance declined with the increase of storage temperature and oxygen concentration, while the browning index and DMS developed. Sensory evaluation showed that the aseptic package containers have maintained the juice quality better than the hot-packed can used as the control.
